A power output stage circuit having PWM (pulse-width modulation) operation and permanently closed operation is described in European Patent Application No. 899 860. A series-connected control circuit controls the pulse-width modulation generator and the power output stage into a permanently open state, a PWM operation having pulse-width modulated pulses and a permanently closed state, as a function of an externally predefined setpoint value, an actual value of the power output stage, and a reference voltage derived from the supply voltage. An increased power loss and a high EMV (electromagnetic compatibility) in the extreme range toward full load output may be avoided by the feature that it goes over prematurely from PWM operation to permanently closed operation as a function of a predefined setpoint value and of the supply voltage, and through a hysteresis of these values it returns again to PWM operation.